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Obama’s foreign policies, albeit controversial at times, have been far from weak.
He escalated the drone program, which has brought down numerous top leaders within al-Qaida but has also resulted in an unsettling amount of collateral damage. He also ordered Seal Team Six to take down Osama Bin Laden.
He worked closely with NATO forces to oust Muammar Qaddafi from his position of power in Libya without making America the leading force in that operation, a move commended by European leaders. The U.S., in conjunction with nations around the globe, has put crippling sanctions on Iran. Not all of these problems, such as with Iran and Libya, have been “fixed,” but the world is moving closer to accomplishing its goals.
His approval ratings around the globe are exceptionally high, especially in Europe where his approval rating is above 90 percent in several nations. Truth be told, the view of America held by the world has gotten dramatically better over these past four years.
Progressive and historic changes have been made at the state level, such as marijuana legalization and the legalization of gay marriage. Congress has seen historic changes as well. Women now hold more seats in the U.S. Senate than ever before, welcoming to the table new women of various backgrounds.
America is far from “the pathway to Greece.”
We, the American people, did not lose last Tuesday, nor did the country or the Constitution lose. America is making progress, and as slow as it may be, it is still progress.
We should expect more improvement and changes over the next four years.
We can expect more money for education in the U.S., tax rates to remain close to their current rates, a progressive movement in the states, and a steadily growing economy. We can expect a continuation of the president’s strong foreign policies, both pragmatic and potent, and a push for progress in his domestic policies.
The future actions of our leaders will not be flawless, but we should approach these next four years with optimism, not pessimism. It is time to work together, to end the slander and McCarthyism, and it is time for moderation and for the radicals to leave the media and the government.
It is time for Americans to move forward.
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A version of this article appeared in the Nov 15 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Absolute Garbage.
Tax rates will remain "close to the current rates"? I suppose that is true if you are in the majority who DO NOT PAY TAXES. For those who actually fund the federal budget, the next four years will be brutal punishment. Eventually the productive will grow weary of being spit upon, and simply give up. Of course that will be followed with a column by you berating them for their "greed" and lack of compassion for their fellow man.
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Yes, I'm sure increasing tax rates by 3 percentage points on income above $250k will cause the 2% of people affected by it to "grow weary." Just as they were weary for most of the 20th century until the Bush years, when our economy went into overdrive.
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Why is it so necessary to tax high earners that much more? I just get this sense of "stick it to the man" mentality, but I don't understand why and my intuition is that it comes down to envy even though even the poorest people in this country have it really good. The fiscal problem is a spending problem, not a revenue problem.
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Actually the first 5 years of Bush were great for the economy. When he came to office he inherited a recession that was left by Clinton. The tax cuts he inacted got us out of that recession within 5 months. They should have expired soon after but hindsight is 20/20.
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Only the beginning.
You "pay-their-fair-share!" people always fail to recognize that the tax burden has been continually pushed to the higher end of the income spectrum for decades (yes, even under Bush). Apparently it helps you sleep better at night to know that someone who worked harder than you is being punished for it. All we have to do is sieze more of their income (and eventually their wealth), distribute it "back to their victims" and all will be right with the world! (disclaimer: that "world" will be dark, cold, and lack the basic necessities of life....but there will be JUSTICE!)
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Just because someone's income is higher than others' income does not mean they are necessarily working harder than others.
Also, more of the tax "burden" has been pushed onto wealthier individuals only because wages for the middle class have been stagnant for over three decades, while the incomes for higher class individuals has grown exponentially.
This is not "redistributing" the wealth and punishing the wealthy. If anything, it would take us back to the more balanced system before the theory of horse and sparrow economics took over the government. Besides, numerous reports and studies have shown that tax cuts are not what spur business and economic growth, it tends to be the tax increases that do that.
Such was the case when Reagan was in office. Indeed, he cut taxes, but the economic growth during that period occurred after the often ignored increase in taxes under his administration.
And as someone whose family was greatly affected by the recession and lost a lot because of the banking industry, I can assure you as well as others like yourself that there were victims in 2008. The fact that you look down upon people who were taken advantage of by corporations is disgusting, and not only does it prove you are not mature enough to talk about these issues, it also shows you are completely ignorant to what has gone on within the political world over the past several decades.
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BS. With a few exceptions (there are always exceptions...even someone as "ignorant" as me knows that), people at the top of the income spectrum DO work harder than those at the bottom. These are people that have risked everything to start small businesses, taken on massive debt to eventually become a successful surgeon, work 70-80 hours a week, and rarely take vacations. In contrast, those at the opposite end perform a menial job for an agreed-upon wage, then go home without any additional burden or responsibility. I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with you comparing the two, and saying one does not "work harder" than the other. That type of nonsense disqualifies you from handing down the judgement of "ignorance."
As for the shifting tax burden, I again call BS. The current tax structure in the US is one of the most "progressive" in the world. It is so "progressive" in fact that nearly have of those filing returns have either ZERO liability, or end up with a nice bonus check from the other half. Forgive me if I have a hard time accepting that as "fair."
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Author needs to take an Economic class. Obama is a disaster for the private enterprise system.
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